The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on home care has been revealed following an online survey by the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee.
Published yesterday, the survey found that 54% of recipients of home care saw their care either reduced or stopped completely. In one instance, a respondent reported having their care stopped for more than six months. Reduction in care was a recurring theme from respondents with families feeling that they were “left to get on with it”.
The survey, which ran during August and September, sought to hear the experiences of both carers and care recipients during the pandemic. Key concerns raised include:
In the event of a second wave, the most important issue for those surveyed was safety. They told us it was vital to have access to appropriate PPE as well as frequent testing, and that carers should receive adequate training in both infection control and social distancing.
Additional pressures and a loss of routine led to increased anxiety for unpaid carers, who stressed the need for respite. Respondents felt “mentally exhausted” and “frightened to let staff back into their homes”.
It was agreed that there needs to be greater recognition of unpaid carers who were often “left to pick up the slack”. There were calls for more support and financial help as well as a ‘professionalisation’ of the system, with a move towards a professional career model.
A fear of services shutting down again left respondents feeling determined to “not be forgotten about” or “left to manage entirely on [their] own”. They called for the continuity of care services and care packages to remain in place in the event of future outbreaks.
Speaking as the findings of the survey were published, Committee Convener Lewis Macdonald MSP said:“The first wave of Covid-19 had a devastating impact on the social care sector in Scotland.
“Now that we’re in the midst of a second wave, and continuing national restrictions, it is vital that we hear the voices of home care workers and those receiving care at home across the country. These findings are deeply concerning suggesting over 50% of those receiving care at home saw their care reduced or stopped completely during the pandemic.
“Other concerns raised around mental health, safety, and the prospect of care shutting down again, make it clear that things must improve.
“The Committee recognises the hard work of carers, paid and unpaid, who have gone above and beyond during this unprecedented challenge and we also want to thank all those who took part in the survey for sharing their experiences in what are still very difficult times.”
Refreshed ‘Ready Scotland’ website to help communities work together
Communities are being encouraged to continue to support each other as the country moves into winter.
The Scottish Government’s recently refreshed Ready Scotland website (ready.scot) provides a range of information for anyone looking for support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as advice on preparing for winter weather.
It also provides guidance for those who wish to help out those around them, whether on an individual basis or through volunteering with local community groups or charities.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1326608249685151745
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “In any year, winter weather can be a challenge for many of us, and this year it will come while we are already managing the effects that COVID-19 is having on so many aspects of our lives.
“As we have seen in previous winters, and as we saw so clearly during our lockdown in the spring and in the months since, the strength and kindness of our communities and our desire to look out for our neighbours is one of our greatest resources.
“These support networks are no less important now than they were in the spring, especially to older, disabled and at risk people, and those who are on their own or feeling lonely. While we can’t visit each other as we might have done in previous years, a phone call or a text can go a long way, and there are a wide range of services standing ready to provide support.
“I would encourage people to continue to take time to check in with those around you and offer any help that you are able.”
Guidance on giving and finding help during the coronavirus pandemic, preparing for winter weather, and forming community groups is available on the Ready Scotland website.
For those without digital access, coronavirus support can be sought from the National Assistance Helpline by telephoning 0800 111 4000.
Clearyourhead.scot has a range of advice and resources, also offering practical assistance for anyone feeling low or needing to speak to someone for emotional support.
Ruari Fairbairns, CEO and Founder of One Year No Beer, explains what happens to your body after you stop drinking, and draws a timeline of all the amazing benefits you can expect to enjoy from quitting alcohol
Ruari Fairbairns said: “Quitting alcohol comes with so many amazing benefits! You will start to notice improvements in your overall health from week one. As you continue on your path of being alcohol-free, you will notice your body becoming a well optimised machine.“
The inescapable fact is boozing causes a lot of health issues plus foul moods, crazy sugar cravings, poor sleep, unpleasant toilet habits and poor concentration. Booze also massively contributes to depression and anxiety.
Whilst we seek its numbing qualities to ease mood, booze is playing a cruel game. It is medically classed as a depressant, and over time it depresses your natural body chemistry and leads to that gnawing anxiety and heaviness.
Ruari says, “One of the most common questions we get asked is ‘what happens when you stop drinking?” There are so many benefits of not drinking alcohol, including sleeping more deeply and, as a result of this, increased physical and mental energy; restored hydration (leading to dewier and more youthful skin); weight loss and improved fitness; improved moods and a feeling of contentedness.”
Ruari explains in more detail with the following timeline …
What happens when you quit drinking:
Alcohol timeline
Short term benefits
The good news is our bodies LOVE being booze-free and respond really quickly. The lift in mood and depression is one to the key reasons people continue to stay booze free with the help of OYNB – because the natural high feels so good!
What happens to your body in the first few days?
1 – 12 HOURS
An hour after your last drink, your liver starts working overtime, clearing the alcohol from your bloodstream to prevent alcohol poisoning. Yep! Booze is poison and the liver has to alter its chemical structure so it doesn’t kill us – changing alcohol to acetaldehyde and then acetate.
Acetaldehyde, a highly toxic substance and a known carcinogen, so although acetaldehyde exists in the body only for a brief time before it is further broken down into acetate, it has the potential to cause significant damage. You may experience nausea and tremor as your body deals with all this. At the time your pancreas also starts producing extra insulin, which causes intense carb cravings.
12 – 24 HOURS
Your blood sugar has potentially normalised, if you haven’t created a glycemic roller-coaster by sugar and carb binging. To rebalance, eat healthy foods and drink lots of water.
48 -72 HOURS
For most, the worst is over by now. Although you may still feel groggy and tired depending on how much booze your body had to process. If, however, you had a bigger booze problem than you realised, then sweating, increased pulse, tremor, anxiety and agitation may continue or kick in at this time. A serious alcohol problem may need medical support from your GP to prevent fits or DTs.
72 HOURS ONWARDS
Any hangover side effects are now officially out of your system, you finally feel back to yourself physically and mentally. And to think this is only 72 hours into your quest to stop drinking alcohol for a month.
When you stop drinking alcohol for a week:
· You start sleeping more deeply and your physical and mental energy to increase as a result.
· Your skin begins to look dewier and more youthful as hydration restores.
· Skin conditions such as dandruff, eczema, and rosacea may also improve.
Sleep & hydration
After only one week of not drinking you will be making better decisions as well as benefiting from improved learning and problem solving. You will also find yourself feeling more creative. Even if you don’t have a huge appetite you will find your eating pattern improving day by day.
One of the most obvious benefits of not drinking alcohol for a week is that your body will be hydrated. This means you will have more energy, increased physical performance and you will be experiencing less headaches.
Calories & money saved
As well as the mental and physical benefits of not drinking alcohol, your wallet will also be feeling fuller.
· Wine drinkers can expect to save around £22.
· Beer drinkers would save £18 for giving up alcohol for a week.
The benefits of not drinking alcohol for 2 weeks include:
· No more acid reflux
· Stomach lining returns to normal
· Continued sleep and hydration improvements
· Noticeable weight loss
Now that you have quit drinking for two weeks, your body will be improving on the inside and you will be starting to look different on the outside too. You will have saved 2160 calories (six pints or six 175ml glasses of wine on average) by giving up alcohol for two weeks.
Drinking 12 pints of beer in two weeks is the equivalent to eating ten large slices of cake, 2160 calories.
Total money saved now from giving up alcohol for two weeks, £45 for wine and £35 for beer.
The benefits of not drinking alcohol for 3 weeks:
· Reduced risk of stroke and heart problems
· Better kidney health
· Improved vision
Congrats! 3 weeks of giving up alcohol is no mean feat! It is well known that drinking too much alcohol can lead to increased blood pressure. Now that you have stopped drinking for three weeks your blood pressure will start to reduce. This is one of the most important benefits of not drinking alcohol.
Calories & money Saved
Now you will have saved yourself a very healthy:
· £54 if you average 6 beers a week
· £67 if you consume 6 glasses of wine a week over the last three weeks.
You could put that saved cash to good use and start a gym membership to help burn off all the extra energy you have since you have had no alcohol for three weeks.
What happens when you stop drinking for 4 weeks?
· Reduce liver fat by up to 15%
· Better looking skin
· More likely to have reduced drinking for 6 months after the end of your challenge
Another health benefit from giving up alcohol for a month is improved liver function. After four weeks of no drinking your liver will start to shed excess fat. With the liver playing a part in over 500 vital processes, you also give your body a better chance of removing contaminants, converting food nutrients, storing minerals and vitamins.
Giving up alcohol for a month will have a positive impact on your skin due to your increased hydration levels. You could even reward yourself with an alcohol-free beer one night, which are also lower in calories and there are now so many to choose from.
Calories & money saved
You will also have reduced your calorie intake by 3840 for the month, if you used to drink six glasses of 175ml wine a week, or 4320 calories over the month if you used to drink six pints of lager a week.
For your bank balance that equates to saving:
· Over £70 if you drink beer
· And just under £90 by giving up wine for a month.
What happens when you give up alcohol for a month?
Your liver fat reduces by up to 20%, allowing it to flush toxins out of the body more efficiently.
Your cholesterol (a risk factor in heart disease) drops up to 5% and your glucose stabilises (decreasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes). All the inward changes begin to show through in a healthy glow of the skin and eyes.
Benefits of not drinking alcohol for 3 months or more
There is a lot to expect when you stop drinking for 3 months. Alcohol is related to 7 different cancer types.
By giving up alcohol for 3 months you reduce your chances of getting cancer.
After a year of not drinking, you and your life will be transformed.
At OYNB we’ve been on this journey with 100s who’ve gone long-term booze-free and we see it every time:
* Weight loss and improved fitness * Improved moods and a feeling of contentedness * Better relationships * Increased productivity and focus at work * More pound in the pocket (if you spent an average of £75 a week on drinking at home and going-out, that’s a saving of £3900 over a year) * Ability to absorb vitamins and minerals increases * Reduced risk of cancer and decreased stress levels * Quicker immune response
A nationwide survey with the aim of collating the responses of the Construction and Engineering sector has been launched to find out what the future training and development needs are of these critical sectors, as well as seeking to highlight the barriers to accessible training.
Construction is a key sector that contributes significantly to the economic growth of a nation. The Construction industry tends to be an investment-led sector where governments show high interest with contracts awarded to develop infrastructure related to housing, health and transport, as well as the education sector.
Alongside the Construction industry is the Engineering sector, which helps to develop the physical infrastructure we all rely on – transport networks, roads, bridges, water and energy supplies, and waste management, among other vital services.
In these challenging and ever-changing times, it is crucial that colleges across the country provide training and qualifications which help drive the success of the two sectors by listening and providing appropriate learning opportunities.
Funded by Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESESCDR) as part of the Housing, Construction and Infrastructure (HCI) partnership. Colleges in Scotland are seeking to carry out a needs analysis of both areas through a short survey which will then be analysed, and the outcomes reported to the HCI Board.
This will allow colleges to respond and adapt their training offering to ensure that companies can upskill their current workforce and ensure that new recruits have the knowledge and understanding required to enter the world of Construction and engineering.
The survey is open now and closes on Monday 11 December with results being published by the end of March 2021.
Edinburgh College Head of Engineering and Built Environment Scott Warden said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for business, partners and the workforce of the Engineering and Construction sectors to help colleges in the South East of Scotland support the future skills needs of our region over the coming years.
“Their support in helping us to identify any gap areas in terms of skills and training and continuous professional development (CPD) needs will be invaluable as we look to shape our curriculum to serve the industry’s requirements.”
As a thank you for participating in the survey all participants, who leave their contact details, will be entered into our prize draw for a £50 Amazon Voucher – Good luck!
The survey can be accessed here and will take around four minutes to complete.
We are seeking a few new volunteers to help with our new ‘Digital Inclusion Project’
If you think you have the skills to help others with mobile phones and tablet computers and apps for communication, information and leisure please email corstorphinehubdevelopment@gmail.com for a role description and application form.
The ‘Pandemic Puppies’ study will explore how the Covid-19 lockdown has affected puppy buying in the UK
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is calling for respondents for its survey on puppy buying experiences both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey is applicable to UK-based dog owners who have acquired a puppy since January 2019.
This ‘Pandemic Puppies’ study will compare how and why puppies were bought before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, to help build an understanding of the changes in buying behaviours and intentions over this period.
This study will then be used to help provide advice and guidance to owners who may have experienced problems purchasing their puppy, as well as supporting prospective puppy buyers in the future in avoiding the potential pitfalls.
Many people are likely to recognise the benefits of owning a dog during the pandemic, which has inevitably led to more households deciding to add a puppy to their lives.
While puppy buying is an exciting and emotional time for households, buying and owning them also brings many challenges.
Finding a healthy puppy bred by a responsible breeder is not always a simple process, and lockdown may have posed additional difficulties to potential ‘pandemic puppy’ purchasers. Consequently, there have been many reports of unscrupulous buyers and puppy dealers cashing in on the increased demand for puppies.
This study will also explore owners’ early interactions and future plans for their dogs.
Lockdown has raised concerns around dog welfare, including limited opportunities for new experiences during a critical period of development for young puppies.
This study will explore if and how the early lives of ‘pandemic puppies’ differed from those purchased the year before the pandemic. This research will identify any vulnerabilities to the health, behaviour, and welfare of this puppy population, and inform future educational messaging to promote ways to safeguard their futures.
The survey is open to every dog owner in the UK who purchased a puppy of any breed or crossbreed from 1st January 2019 to the present time.
Participation is open to anyone who has acquired a puppy since January 2019. The puppy must have been under 16 weeks old when it was brought home and must also have been purchased from a breeder or private seller, rather than adopted from a formal rescue organisation or bred by themselves.
Dr Rowena Packer, Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the RVC and lead of the project said:“Since lockdown, the media has reported huge spikes in UK households buying puppies.
“Although a new puppy may have been a welcome relief from the pandemic for many households, unscrupulous breeders have cashed in on this increased demand, and many well-meaning owners may have inadvertently bought puppies from poor-welfare sources.
“We want to learn more about how and why people bought puppies during lockdown, and your experiences of owning a young puppy during this unprecedented period.
“We want to know about both good and bad experiences, so even if you feel the puppy buying process didn’t go as well as you had hoped, you have worries, or even if you have rehomed your puppy, we would love to hear from you.
“We equally need vital information from owners of puppies bought before the pandemic in 2019 and early 2020, to learn what ‘normal’ puppy buying looked like in the UK. Please help our study to improve the lives of puppies both now and in the future.”
The ‘Pandemic Puppies’ research project was awarded a grant from the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and will be conducted over a period of six months, with data collection taking place from November until the end of 2020.
With just 50 days until the end of the EU Transition Period, EU benefit claimants living in the UK are being urged to apply to the EU Settlement scheme.
The UK has left the EU and is in the Transition Period which ends at the end of this year. The Withdrawal Agreement provides citizens with the certainty they need about their rights going forward.
For EU citizens living in the UK by 31 December, that means they can continue to receive benefits on the same terms as they do now.
People need evidence they were living in the UK by 31 December and to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme in order to be covered by these provisions.
For those thinking of moving to the UK on or after 1 January 2021, the benefit rules will change.
The deadline for applying to the EU Settlement Scheme is 30 June 2021.
The UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, is highlighting the findings from a recent survey which revealed that the majority of road users from around the world support banning people from wearing headphones while cycling and is calling for urgent debate on this important issue while changes to the Highway Code are being considered.
In the survey, conducted across 32 countries by the E-Survey of Road Users’ Attitudes (ESRA), two-thirds (65.8 per cent) of the 35,000 respondents internationally were in support of introducing a ban on cyclists wearing headphones.
Support was a little higher in the UK where 68.2 per cent of people – more than two in three – said that they were in favour of the ban.
Across Europe, support for the ban on cyclists wearing headphones varied. Spain felt most strongly about the introduction of the policy with nearly 80 per cent of all road users surveyed in that country voting in its favour.
Finland felt least strongly, with only one in three (36 per cent) believing the ban would be a good move. In Germany and Hungary, support for the ban was at similar levels to those in the UK at 69.8 per cent and 69.9 per cent respectively.
The European average was 66.5 per cent in support of the ban, with even cycle-loving Holland and Denmark showing small majorities in favour of new controls. This was matched in countries further afield, with most respondents supporting the ban on cyclists wearing headphones across North America, Asia and Africa.
Internationally, female road users were more in favour than males of a ban on headphones or earbuds while cycling, and this was true across all of the continents surveyed: Asia (80 per cent), Europe (69 per cent), Africa (83 per cent) and North America (62 per cent).
Unsurprisingly, those aged 18 to 24 were most against the introduction of any controls on their personal listening habits and internationally an average of only 53.5 per cent of this age group supported the ban. In Europe, support among young people was markedly lower at just four in ten (44.1 per cent) of 18 to 24-year-olds believing the ban would be a good idea.
Neil Greig, Policy and Research Director at IAM RoadSmart, said: “It’s clear that the majority of road users are very concerned about distracted cyclists wearing headphones or earbuds while riding. These findings were consistent right across the world in this substantial survey.
“Being plugged in to either headphones or earbuds is the ultimate distraction, as it completely shuts you off to your surroundings, creating a potential road safety risk to yourself, pedestrians and other road users around you. This is even more critical with the popularity and increasing prevalence of noise-cancelling equipment.
“There are plans to update the Highway Code being discussed as we speak, so now is a great time to have an informed debate about the best way for cyclists to avoid potentially fatal distractions.”
The Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee has called on the Government to measure the consequences of cancelling all non-urgent care at the height of the pandemic. They say this must be done as a matter of urgency with the pandemic continuing to impact every aspect of the health service.
In the Committee’s pre-budget report, they looked into the wider impact of Covid-19 upon individuals’ health and their use of the health service, with the pandemic causing a huge reduction in those seeking use of these services.
Figures suggest just under 60,000 planned operations took place in Scottish hospitals from March to August of this year, compared to 168,000 over the same period in 2019. The Committee has said detail must be provided on when the backlog of NHS work caused by the pandemic will be resolved.
The Committee express concern about the large degree of uncertainty over budgeting for current and future years caused by Covid-19 and are seeking more detail on the implications for longer term funding plans.
In a wide-ranging pre-budget report, the Committee highlight that health and social care spend accounts for over 50% of the Scottish budget, but there is currently no coherent attempt to identify the outcomes of this spending. The Committee say this makes it difficult to tell whether the taxpayer is receiving value for money.
The Committee also criticise the current budget process whereby Integration Authorities, who account for £9billion of health and social care spending, do not provide basic budget details until six months into the financial year to which the budget relates.
Lewis Macdonald MSP, Convener of the Health and Sport Committee, said:“Covid-19 has caused a huge disruption to many NHS patients and treatments with Public Health Scotland data revealing hospital admissions, attendances at A&E departments, and people attending out of hours services all falling to around half the average levels seen in 2018-19.
“As the pandemic continues to impact every aspect of our health service, the consequences of cancelling all non-urgent care must be measured and the backlog of treatments and waiting lists resolved as quickly and safely as possible.
“The pandemic has created a huge degree of uncertainty over current and future health and social care budgets and we are keen to be given more detail on the long-term implications of this uncertainty.
“We are also surprised at the lack of information available on potential NHS savings caused by the large number of services which ceased operating during lockdown.
“Since the arrival of the pandemic we have seen a remarkable reduction in delayed discharge numbers and there have been welcome innovations across the health service to help respond to this crisis, but the challenge now is to continue these successes and to ensure we do not revert to the old way of working.”
The report also looks into the impact of the pandemic on GP practices. Concerns are raised by the Committee about evidence received which suggested some GPs were refusing to see patients as a result of the pandemic.
The Committee has said there must be consistency in service delivery and accessibility across all GP practices.
The Committee also calls on the Scottish Government to provide detail on how GP workload has been affected by the pandemic, saying the introduction of community hubs inevitably leads to questions of what GPs have been doing during the coronavirus crisis. Similar questions are asked about non-emergency NHS staff.
The Covid-19 international travel and quarantine regulations were also scrutinised by the Committee and they have recommended that all passengers arriving into Scotland should be tested for the virus as a health protection measure and to potentially shorten the length of quarantine periods.
MSPs on the Committee have said identifying, checking and tracing those persons subject to quarantine should be given the highest priority and the numbers being followed up must be substantially increased beyond current target figures.
A Scottish bookmaker saved from administration last year has warned the independent sector faces a ‘make or break’ winter without urgent government support.
Scotland’s largest independent bookmaker Scotbet has urged First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to step in after the firm was denied support from the Scottish Government in the form of business rates relief or small business grants, despite being closed for over three months from the start of lockdown.
Based in Loanhead, Scotbet was rescued from closure in July 2019 following a management buy out. Almost 130 jobs and 30 shops were saved. At its peak, the firm owned 75 shops.
Chairman John Heaton, who led the management buy out, has written to Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and the First Minister demanding answers. He said: “It is simply no way to treat a Scottish business struggling to survive in the grip of a pandemic.
“Due to the Covid restrictions we were forced to close our shops for over three months in March. At the time, small businesses throughout the UK were promised help in the form of small business grants and 12 months of business rates relief. It allowed many independent operators in England, which would otherwise have failed, to remain in business.
“We have received nothing. For reasons, so far not explained, independent betting shop chains were excluded. We are now receiving threats of court action for non-payment of rates for a period when we were not allowed to open. This is simply unfair.
“We now face a very challenging future. Even now, revenue is significantly below pre-lockdown levels and the coming months could be make or break for many independent bookmakers. On behalf of our loyal and extremely hard working employees, I would urge the Scottish Government to do more to support the independent sector before it is too late.”
Lothian MSP and convener of the Cross Party Group on Horseracing at the Scottish Parliament Miles Briggs said: “It is baffling that the betting industry has not been provided the same support that has been given to businesses in other industries.
“Licensed responsible gambling provides entertainment to people throughout Scotland and the thousands of jobs related to the industry are no less valuable than in any other sector.
“I have written to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture to ask why support has not yet been provided and I have called on Ministers to act immediately to support local jobs in communities across Scotland.”
